ATLANTA -- Nationals first baseman Luis García Jr. was a late scratch for Sunday’s series finale against the Braves. García, a top trade candidate, was in uniform and on the bench during the game. He originally was penciled in to bat second.
García’s trade value has skyrocketed in the best season of his seven-year career. He is slashing .283/.313/.560 with an .873 OPS. His 23 home runs and 76 RBIs are career highs.
Andrés Chaparro replaced García in the starting lineup on Sunday. Chaparro was hit in the helmet by a curveball from JR Ritchie in the fourth inning. He initially stayed in the game, but he did not return for the fifth.
With García on the bench, the Nationals instead tabbed third baseman Brady House at first base. House had never played the position on the Major League or Minor League level. He had been working there during pregame drills this week.
García, 26, entered Sunday leading the National League in slugging percentage. In his last seven games, he is batting .367 with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, six RBIs and two runs scored.
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The lefty-hitter improved his splits and earned more consistent playing time. This season, he is hitting .247 against left-handed starters, compared to .195 last season.
“All the credit, honestly, goes to him for being willing to try something new and spend the amount of time that he spends in the cage, in the weight room to address these things,” manager Blake Butera said on Saturday.